Knapp's Castle: closed to the public, and what to do instead

Knapp's Castle quick facts

Status

Private and closed to the public (Wikipedia, citing closure from August 2020; SiteLine Santa Barbara, October 2024)

Where

A 160-acre private inholding in the Santa Ynez Mountains, Los Padres National Forest, off East Camino Cielo about 2 miles from Highway 154

Built

From 1916 by George Owen Knapp, founder of Union Carbide

Burned

1940, weeks after Frances Holden bought it, with her friend the opera singer Lotte Lehmann

Now

Owner Cal Smith, a historic-landmark preservationist, has been restoring it (KEYT, 2019)

The road

A dirt road across national forest land to the property, under a Forest Service private-road permit

Can you still visit Knapp's Castle?

No. The site was always private land; for years the owners simply let hikers wander the ruins. That ended with active construction: Wikipedia records the site as closed to the public from August 2020, and in October 2024 SiteLine Santa Barbara's Erik Torkells hiked up the long way and reported the house "certainly looks done" but that the public can no longer explore it. The Forest Service treats the access off East Camino Cielo as a permitted private road, not a public trail. Older blog posts still describe a free sunset hike; they're out of date.

The story of Knapp's Castle

George Owen Knapp, the founder of Union Carbide, built a sandstone mountain estate on the 160-acre ridge starting in 1916, with five bedrooms, an organ room and an observatory, according to Wikipedia. In 1940 Frances Holden bought the property, planning a mountain home with the opera singer Lotte Lehmann. Within weeks a forest fire destroyed the main buildings, leaving the sandstone arches, chimneys and foundations that made the ruin famous.

In 2010 Calvin L. Smith acquired an interest in the property and began work: stone amphitheater-style steps in 2011 drew a county stop-work order, per the Santa Barbara Independent. By 2019 Smith told KEYT he was restoring part of the main hunting lodge and rebuilding it.

Where to go instead

• Chumash Painted Cave, a state historic park 24.5 mi (42 min) from Solvang Park, off the same stretch of mountains: centuries-old Chumash pictographs behind a protective grate.
• Lake Cachuma, the reservoir below the castle ridge, 20 minutes from Solvang, with boat rentals and campsites, cabins and yurts.
• Cold Spring Tavern, an 1868 stagecoach stop on Highway 154, for lunch.
• Figueroa Mountain, for big valley views you can legally pull over for, and spring wildflowers.

Good to know

Who built Knapp's Castle? George Owen Knapp, the founder of Union Carbide, starting in 1916.

Nearby: eat, taste, stay

• Chumash Painted Cave: Chumash pictographs off Highway 154 · Open to visit, unlike the castle
• Lake Cachuma: Boats and a nature center on the lake below the ridge
• Cold Spring Tavern: An 1868 stagecoach stop for lunch on Highway 154
• Figueroa Mountain: Spring poppies and lupine above Los Olivos

Quick answers

Is Knapp's Castle open to the public?

No. It's private property under restoration and has been closed to the public since at least August 2020.

Who owns Knapp's Castle now?

Calvin (Cal) Smith acquired an interest in 2010 and has been restoring it, according to the Santa Barbara Independent and KEYT.

What happened to Knapp's Castle?

A forest fire destroyed the main buildings in 1940, weeks after Frances Holden bought the property. The sandstone ruins stood for decades until the current owner began rebuilding.

What is the abandoned mansion near Santa Barbara?

Usually Knapp's Castle, the burned 1916 lodge off East Camino Cielo. It isn't abandoned anymore: it's private and being rebuilt.